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The report examines how local climate adaptation lessons are 'upscaled' to inform national or sub-national policy. It introduces a sense-making framework based on two axes—epistemology (realism vs. constructionism) and intent of inquiry (universalism vs. contextualism)—to categorize how research connects with policy. By analyzing three case studies (Stockholm, Niagara, and the Mahakam Delta), the authors demonstrate that methodological choices determine whether research supports 'planned policy' (regulatory/coercive) or 'self-organised adaptation' (non-coercive). The report argues that case studies can serve as platforms to challenge disabling governance structures and leverage stakeholder competencies to reinvent institutions.

The document identifies a gap between the recognition of scientific knowledge and its practical application in Swedish climate adaptation. While County Administrative Boards coordinate regionally, local action is often hindered by a lack of political prioritization and a preference for short-term gains over long-term vulnerability management. Sector-specific analysis reveals that forestry lacks a formal adaptation strategy due to a focus on short-term productivity, and the water sector's investments are limited by a reliance on strict cost-benefit analyses and a lack of regulatory requirements.

The paper examines how social learning—the process of agents and organizations reframing issues to deal with common problems—operates within climate adaptation governance. It analyzes three mechanisms: bridging/boundary organizations, shadow systems, and conflicting goals. At the international level, the authors find that boundary organizations like the IPCC and UNEP successfully linked science and policy, and that the IPCC acted as a 'shadow system' to develop adaptation knowledge away from the highly politicized UNFCCC negotiations. However, the authors note that this international progress did not automatically translate to the local level. A case study of the Stockholm region reveals a lack of local boundary organizations and shadow systems, with adaptation efforts largely dependent on national signals. The study concludes that local adaptation is hindered by a perceived conflict between long-term goals and short-term economic priorities, suggesting a need for more diverse social learning arenas that can address these conflicting interests.

The research assesses five case studies—three in Stockholm and two in Yorkshire—to determine if lay citizens can effectively validate technical environmental policies. It finds that while citizens are capable of this, systemic barriers such as inappropriate participatory techniques, lack of managerial skills, and institutional inflexibility often hinder meaningful involvement. The study contrasts government-led initiatives, which often treat participation as a tool for awareness and public assent, with citizen-led initiatives that demonstrate higher levels of control and knowledge generation.

The document outlines the role of green bonds in transforming financial centres into sustainable hubs, highlighting European market leadership and specific city-level case studies in listing, sovereign issuance, and development banking.

The document provides a comprehensive analysis of nature-based solutions (NBS) as a means to address urban climate challenges. It evaluates the efficacy of various NBS—such as urban wetlands, green roofs, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS)—in regulating temperature, managing stormwater, and improving air quality. Beyond environmental benefits, the report examines the positive impacts of urban green spaces on public health and social cohesion, while critically addressing issues of environmental justice and the risk of 'green gentrification'. It also explores the governance and financial barriers to NBS implementation, proposing a 'mainstreaming' framework to integrate these solutions into municipal planning and policy.

This document is an introductory text for Monograph 46, which compiles papers from a November 1999 conference in Pretoria, South Africa, titled "Building stability in Africa: The challenge for the next millennium." The conference was part of a larger international project, "Challenges of peacekeeping and peace support: Into the 21st century," coordinated by the National Defence College in Stockholm to explore more effective ways of managing regional conflicts and peace support operations.

The research explores the role of the Norwegian-Somali community as a foreign policy actor, bridging the gap between 'ethnic lobby' literature and transnational migration studies. Through interviews and case analysis, the authors argue that the diaspora successfully influenced Norway's shift to criticize Ethiopia's 2006-2007 military intervention in Somalia and encouraged the creation of the Special Financing Facility (Trust Fund) to support the Somali government. The study identifies key enabling factors for this influence, including the diaspora's concentration in urban centers like Oslo, their high level of political engagement, and their ability to provide Norwegian decision-makers with direct access to Somali political elites. However, the authors note that the diaspora is not a unitary actor, with significant internal divisions based on clan and region, such as the Somaliland diaspora's unsuccessful lobbying for independent state recognition.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an international non-profit research organization that integrates scientific research with policy analysis to promote sustainability. Operating through eight global centers, SEI focuses on climate change, water, air, and land use, while incorporating perspectives on governance, economics, gender, and human health. Its regional centers provide specialized expertise in areas such as sustainable urbanization in Africa, climate adaptation in Asia, and environmental governance in the Baltic region and European Union.

The CIRCLE ERA-Net project established a Nordic research network to examine local climate adaptation and mitigation through three workshops held in Norway, Sweden, and Finland between 2008 and 2009. The project identified that local adaptive capacity is historically linked to national policy and that adaptation and mitigation are often integrated in local discussions. Findings suggest that while national initiatives are necessary, they are insufficient on their own, and that local capacity in peripheral regions often depends on market-based competitiveness. The project resulted in two joint peer-reviewed articles and a proposal for a follow-up network, NORDCLAD-Net, to further interdisciplinary research and communication on adaptation.

The paper argues that incremental improvements are insufficient to address the unsustainability of current road transport, which is locked into a regime of oil and car dependence. Using a multi-level perspective, the authors identify three 'niches' for radical innovation: novel vehicle/fuel technologies (Niche 1), a shift from product ownership to mobility services (Niche 2), and post-industrial lifestyles that reduce overall travel demand (Niche 3). In Sweden, Niche 1 is seen as reaching a 'take-off' phase, particularly with biofuels and hybrids, supported by a history of niche experiments and targeted policies. In the UK, the transition is slower and more 'technology push' driven, though congestion charging in London is highlighted as a successful intervention. The authors conclude that a sustainable future requires the co-evolution and 'niche-accumulation' of all three pathways, as technology alone cannot solve social issues like congestion or obesity, nor can it fully mitigate climate change without demand reduction.

The document examines the implementation of Low Emission Zones (LEZ) and Congestion Charging (CC) in London, Singapore, and Stockholm to inform policy development in China. It identifies key areas for analysis, including scheme design, technology, and public communication, and provides specific recommendations for Chinese national and municipal governments to ensure successful adoption, such as aligning local schemes with national strategies and dedicating revenues to transportation improvements.